Related

When it comes to romance, it’s the little things that count. A hot cup of coffee and the newspaper brought to bed in the morning. A back rub after a long day. Or that surefire aphrodisiac, “Can I help you with that?”

On Valentine's Day, the credo of small-is-better works particularly well. That's why Edmonton baker Annie Dam decided to scale down her efforts when The Journal asked her to create a Valentine dessert for readers. Instead of piling one gorgeous layer atop the other, as she does when creating cakes for weddings or corporate events, Dam crafted a cake that recognizes that the heart warms to the thoughtful gesture.

Her White and Dark Chocolate Valentine Cake is not difficult to make, but it does require time, a gift that increases in value as the pace of life seems daily more frantic.

“You don’t need high-level skills to do this cake,” says Dam.

Rather than using an eight-inch cake pan, a common choice for a layer cake, Dam recommends a smaller, more delicate six-inch (15-centimetre) form. A simple syrup made from Kahlua adds moisture, and cutting each of the cakes in half makes an impressive statement while providing an excuse for multiple layers of ganache.

She says the same recipe can also be used to create cupcakes, and all bakers need to do to garnish them is to dip the mini-cakes head first into the warm ganache. Or, take the same recipe, and make heart-shaped cut-outs with the cooled cakes, and then put the hearts on lollipop sticks (available at craft stores, where you can also buy a variety of cake pans in assorted shapes and sizes as whim dictates).

Dam says that rather than make their own cakes, some men are choosing to book a cake-making session with wives or girlfriends at her Edmonton shop, Cake Couture. (Some points earned here, although the romantic impact of personal baking cannot be overestimated.)

With a lifelong love of baking, Dam, 34, opened Cake two and a half years ago. Born in Ho Chi Minh City, she moved to Edmonton as a toddler, but went to Europe to teach English after completing a degree in science at the University of Alberta. Dam ended up staying abroad eight years, meeting her husband in Spain.

“Living in Europe, I had a lot of time, and my in-laws were so artistic,” says Dam. “We started putting together art and cake making . . . and I got hooked.”

After Dam had a baby boy, she decided to move back to Edmonton from Spain to be closer to her family, launching Cake Couture when the baby was just three weeks old.

“I thought, if I don’t start now, I’ll never do it,” she says of the swift move from new motherhood, to entrepreneur.

The rolled, slim, white chocolate fingers that decorate the outside of the cake (called panatela) can be purchased at specialty baking-ingredients shops. You can also get the fingers in dark chocolate, or a white and dark swirl pattern. Not only do panatela look beautiful, secured as they are with a tasteful ribbon, they also hide a multitude of decorating sins.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, stir together milk and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until pale in colour. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the liquids. Mix until combined.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into the batter. Do not over-mix. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Prepare simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil. Allow to cool. Add Kahlua or liqueur of your choice.

Prepare ganache (both the white and the dark, separately) by placing the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Then heat the cream in a saucepan until just boiling. Pour the milk over the chopped chocolate and stir gently until smooth. Allow to cool until thickened to spreading consistency. (Note: don’t be alarmed by the different amounts of white and dark chocolate, given that the cream amount is the same for both colours of ganache. Dam says more white chocolate is necessary to achieve the proper consistency for icing.)

Assembling cake:

Level and split both cake layers horizontally. You will have four cake layers. Brush each layer with simple syrup.

Starting with the first layer, spread 1/4 cup of the dark chocolate ganache. Place second layer of cake on top and spread 1/4 cup of dark chocolate ganache. Repeat until all four layers are stacked into a cake tower.

Spread the side and top with the white chocolate ganache. Decorate with white chocolate curl sticks and tie with a silk ribbon. The top can be decorated with sugar flowers, chocolate-dipped strawberries or fresh flowers.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.